Death of a Ghost, 1989

Death of a Ghost, 1989 oil on board

I consider this painting the beginning of my artistic 'awakening,' as pretentious as that sounds. That doesn't make it any good, just significant. It reflected my new way of doing things - fast and furious and to hell with technique. As it happens, it is one of my favourites. It coincided with relationship upheavals, my father's slow health decline, and the start of my life as an angsty student on a three year long alcoholiday. Fun!

The Nasties of Murrayville, 1991

This painting was my representation of the strangeness of Murrayville, a town in far northwest Victoria. I travelled there early in 1991 as part of a crew making a student film. After a bad meal on the first night I fell ill and spent most of the time in a delirium. At first glance it seemed a perfectly normal rural town (with a fabulous army tank bone yard ), but I saw something very disturbing in Murrayville, and I often wonder if all just a dream, exacerbated by my delirious state. Except that it wasn't a dream, because I have the physical proof. One day I’ll show it. 

Ghost Last Supper, 1989

Ghost Last Supper, 1989 oil on canvas

Painted in 1989. I was still in my early twenties and struggling for ideas. I grew up in a Catholic household and we were surrounded by Catholic icons - framed prints of saints, statues of Jesus and Mary and numerous crucifixes. It obviously rubbed off on me a little.
As children in the 1970s, we were very lucky to visit to some of the great art capitals of the world: Rome, Florence, Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam. Not that I fully appreciated it at the time: "Not another gallery!" was the standard cry as our mother dragged us to the Louvre or the Prado or whatever the next world famous gallery was. I preferred to visit toyshops, which in 1970s Europe were very special places (Lego, die cast cars, trains and planes, nothing made in China). Sure I could appreciate the Mona Lisa or The Last Supper because I'd seen them in books and on TV and that made them famous, but my mind wasn't really on the job. Perhaps that was the reason I failed to include the required twelve disciples in my version of the Last Supper!

Ms Ned Kelly, October 1990

 'Ms Ned Kelly' October 1990 Oil on canvas

Saturday October 13 1990 my old band Pray TV played at the Albion Charles Hotel, Melbourne supporting Ripe. I started this painting that afternoon and finished it late into the night after the show, no doubt fueled by after-show adrenalin and alcohol. It was a very busy day.